Human remains found near Alpine as search for Zuzu Verk continues

ALPINE, Texas -- The Brewster County Sheriff's Office and Alpine Police Department are investigating after human remains were found near Alpine, the West Texas town where 21-year-old college student Zuzu Verk was last seen in October of 2016.

Police say the unidentified remains were found in a shallow grave in the Sunny Glen area, northwest of the city. They are being sent to the medical examiner's office for identification.

Verk's family has been notified, although police aren't sure if the remains belong to her.

No arrests have been made and no charges have been filed, but police say Verk's boyfriend, Robert Fabian, is their primary suspect in her disappearance. Police say he refused to answer questions about the last night Verk was seen, and he and a friend, Chris Estrada, were acting strange in the days after her disappearance.

Both men testified in front of a grand jury in January, but no indictments have been handed down.